Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XXXII. Reports on visits paid by the Labour Colonies Committee to certain institutions in Holland, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland.

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XXXII. Reports on visits paid by the Labour Colonies Committee to certain institutions in Holland, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    10/184 (page 2)
    HOLLAND. AMSTERDAM POORHOUSE. aii^^ a' ^^mmoda ^^^ ^^^^ institution visited by the Committee was the Spinning and Workhouse l-jQjj {Spin 671 Werkhuis) at Amsterdam. This is a very ancient establishment, its first records relating to the year 1598. It is a Municipal establishment, which was originally a prison, in the nature of a bridewell, but was reorganised in i872 as a poorhouse, intended to deal with such cases as cannot adequately be dealt with by charity (to which all persons are referred, if such a course is practicable), and providing for the reception of any poor persons whose needy condition comes to the notice of the Municipal authorities. The total accommodation is for 820 inmates ; their number at the date of the Com- mittee's visit was 817. Class of persons admitted. Eecovery of relief from relatives. Occupations earnings of inmates. and Indoor relief moie expensive than outdoor relief. Any person in need may call at this workhouse. His case is then investigated by salaried officials, in order to ascertain whether it is suitable for admission. The classes of persons permanently accommodated here are persons over sixty years of age, and also sick people of any age (including epileptics) who receive infirmary treatment in this establishment; they are admitted only if poor and unable to work, with no relations upon whose support they can rely. But persons not included in these classes are taken in temporarily, in no case for longer than three months. No children are received at this poorhouse. The question of the admission of each individual is decided, with the assistance of the evidence given by the paid investigators, by the committee of management. There is no power of compulsory detention, the inmates being free to leave without notice. With respect to cases, in which relations, whose support the inmates have a legal right to claim, and who, though able to do so, refuse to give such support, it is, for the reasons which will be explained, only very seldom that legal proceedings are taken to enforce such obhgations. In such proceedings the person aggrieved (e.g., a parent, who is neglected by his son), makes the claim, at the instance of the Municipahty. But according to the Dutch law a separate claim must be made in respect of each week during which the in- dividual proceeded against has been in default. Consequently, the process is so cumber- some, that it is in practice rarely resorted to. The institution possesses a steam laundry, and carries on, without the assistance of mechanical power, a certain number of industries, including the manufacture of mats (from cocoa-nut fibre), the weaving of cotton and linen cloths, the packing of blue, tobacco stripping, and the manufacture of firewood. There is also a carpenter's shop and a forge. All the inmates engaged in these industries receive wages. Thus, those engaged in weaving are paid piece-wages, enabling them to earn 4s. a week, while on mat-making the earnings average 10s. 6d. a week. The men in the carpenter's shop and the forge receive time wages of |d. per hour. The earnings of the inmates are paid to them once a month ; but if an inmate quits the estabhshment, whatever he has earned since the last monthly pay day is handed to him on his departure. The estabhshment has a staff of twelve paid officials ; in addition, sixty of the more capable inmates (male and female) are employed at a wage of l|d. per day. Those inmates who are not able to do any work receive an allowance of 2d. per week. The sexes are separated throughout this institution. The medical attention required by the inmates is given by the medical staff of the Municipahty. With respect to certain general questions of Poor Law administration, the following information was given by the director of the poorhouse. It is in the option of the Poor Law authorities to give in each case either indoor or outdoor rehef. Although in principle it is only the deserving poor who receive relief m their own homes, yet weight appears to be attached to the fact that indoor rehet is found to be more expensive than outdoor relief.